Our poster at @BritishHCI2015 on connecting paper to the Internet http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=2783446.2783610

1. Paper-based web connected
objects and the Internet of
Things through EKKO
Over the last year, design research was
conducted to conceptualise an Internet enabled
object bookmark or paperclip. EKKO as its known
hangs off the edge of the print and connects the
print to the Internet. The readers’ mobile phone
acts as the ‘second screen’ to print, this
seperates the experience from the interaction. The
two devices must be paired before the user can
expeiernce the print. The user then selectes the
publication they wish to interact with and in turn
the server logs the users device ID as active and
sets their publication ready for consumption.
John Mills, Prof Paul Egglestone
Dr Mark Lochrie & Martin Skelly
The linking of objects to the Internet and the
utilisation of the ubiquitous mobile device as a
‘second screen’ opens up thousands of possible
interactions and content types. The paper clip
applies pressure to the conductive ink to ensure a
good connection. It has been prototyped with an
Electric Imp combined with a capacitance sensor
to measure the ink button presses, a small
rechargeable Li-Po battery and an LED for user
feedback. Once a sensor is pressed, the object
posts the sensor value to the webserver, which in
turn pushes the content for playback to the
mobile device. The server uses Pusher’s real time
API to manage connections and push content
to addressed mobile devices.
Going forward with the research
partners, each prototype
demonstrates how EKKO can be used
in varying scenarios. The first prototype
was to utilise the mobile’s audio capabilities.
The next is to utilise the screen and use the print
as a games controller to create a simple button
game. Other concepts were to explore the use of
extending the story through audio/video narratives: by
pressing the illustration on the print and you hear/see
insights into how it was conceived, or the purpose of the
character within the story. Other simplified solutions are to
use the print as a media controller to play, pause, stop
video and audio content.